Exploring Living Heritage in Reconstruction: Notes from Antakya

The discussion will explore how the notion of living heritage — the dynamic interplay between places, people, knowledge, practices, and memory — can serve as common ground for rethinking, understanding and visualising post-disaster recovery. Rather than focusing solely on rebuilding structures, a living heritage approach centres continuity, adaptation, and the cumulative agency of dwellers in shaping their environments. It broadens who is recognised as knowledgeable and provides a shared, non-confrontational space for addressing contested issues of planning, belonging, and cultural rights. Drawing from Antakya’s experience, this dialogue invites reflection on how heritage-centred, community-based planning can open new possibilities for equitable and inclusive reconstruction. 

This is a Hybrid event

Moderator

Cassidy Johnson - Professor of Urbanism and Disaster Risk Reduction, DPU

Presenter

Francesco Pasta is a Senior Associate at Architecture Sans Frontières–UK, coordinating community planning initiatives in post-earthquake Antakya since 2023. As a Mercator-IPC Research Fellow at the Istanbul Policy Centre, he explores how community-led planning can inform just post-disaster reconstruction policy in Turkey. An MSc BUDD alumnus (2011–12), he previously worked with the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights and the Community Architects Network. 

Discussants

Thaisa Comelli - SLecturer in Urban Sustainability at the Bartlett School of Planning UCL  and Disaster Reduction 

Dasha Moschonas - ASF-UK Senior Associate and Post-doctoral Research Fellow, DPU 

Serra Utkum Ikiz - DPU MSc BUDD 2024-25, Dissertation fellowship with ASF-UK

Megha Paudyal - DPU MSc BUDD 2024-25, Dissertation fellowship with ASF-UK.